School board selects two firms to manage multimillion-dollar rebuilding effort amid debate over selection process

The Terrebonne Parish School Board voted 5-4 to accept proposals from Volkert, Inc., and Hammerman & Gainer LLC to serve as project managers for the district's school-rebuilding program, authorizing the board president to sign contracts subject to fee negotiations and standard terms. The vote followed competing motions and an extended public and board discussion about evaluation methods used during the vendor interviews.

Board members said the project management decision matters because the firms will oversee planning, contracting and expenditures for temporary campuses and longer-term rebuilding. The substitute motion that passed named Volkert, Inc., and Hammerman & Gainer LLC as the two firms to receive contracts starting Jan. 5, 2022, for an initial two-year term with options to extend in one-year increments, “subject to negotiations,” the motion said.

Supporters of the substitute motion said Volkert and Hammerman scored highly on presentations and demonstrated experience managing large projects. Board member Matthew Ford said he ranked Volkert first and described Hammerman as among the firms “that stood out.” Opponents warned against revising the scoring outcomes after staff compiled interview scores. Roger Dale DeHart said changing the selection after the vetting process would undercut the board's agreed procedure.

The board chair read the roll call after the vote and announced five members voted ‘‘yea’’ — Clyde Hamner, the board president (Gregory Harding), Debbie Benoit, Matthew Ford and Michael Lagarde — producing the 5-4 majority. The meeting record names those five as voting in favor; the meeting transcript does not list all four dissenting names in a single roll-call statement.

Board members also discussed diversity and local participation in their remarks. One member noted that Hammerman includes local leadership and said awarding a contract to that firm would be meaningful during African American History Month. Several members said that, regardless of the vote, other interviewed firms could still contract for work on specific projects.

The board's motion instructs staff to negotiate fees and conditions with the selected firms and to return final contracts for signature by the board president. The board did not approve any final negotiated contracts at the meeting; the motion authorized only the award of proposals subject to negotiation.

Background: The district assembled and interviewed seven firms in a competitive request-for-proposals process to select project managers for rebuilding multiple campuses damaged by storms. The board discussion included debate about the scoring rubric and whether interview presentations should carry as much weight as written submissions.

What happens next: Staff will open fee negotiations with Volkert and Hammerman, finalize contract language, and present executed agreements to the board for formal authorization if required by district procurement rules.